2020 Holiday Gifts

In his eagerly anticipated debut as author-illustrator, Caldecott and Coretta Scott King honoree Christian Robinson brings young readers on a playful, imaginative journey into another world.

What if you...
encountered another perspective?
Discovered another world?
Met another you?

What might you do?

Staff Pick

Share this book with the baby in your life. Perfect for tummy time!

From the eminent photographer and acclaimed book creator Tana Hoban, this bestselling accordion-style foldout book is sturdy enough to stand by itself and features fourteen bold black-and-white high-contrast images to engage babies and very young children.

Tana Hoban's books are beloved by teachers, librarians, parents, and readers. A perfect gift for new parents and babies.

Before they are able to clearly see colors, babies respond to the strong contrast between black and white, which makes this the perfect first book for young, developing brains. Experiencing bold black-and-white contrast helps stimulate development in the retina and the optic nerve.

This sturdy accordion-style foldout book features high-contrast art from two bestselling Tana Hoban board books: Black on White and White on Black. These classic and popular books have sold more than one million copies.

About Black on White and White on Black, Publishers Weekly said, "Hoban's compositions are so supple and her layouts so well balanced that she casts kind of a spell . . . magical."

After battling the impossible, Zélie and Amari have finally succeeded in bringing magic back to the land of Orïsha. But the ritual was more powerful than they could've imagined, reigniting the powers of not only the maji, but of nobles with magic ancestry, too.

Now, Zélie struggles to unite the maji in an Orïsha where the enemy is just as powerful as they are. But when the monarchy and military unite to keep control of Orïsha, Zélie must fight to secure Amari's right to the throne and protect the new maji from the monarchy's wrath.

With civil war looming on the horizon, Zélie finds herself at a breaking point: she must discover a way to bring the kingdom together or watch as Orïsha tears itself apart.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance is the stunning sequel to Tomi Adeyemi's New York Times-bestselling debut Children of Blood and Bone, the first book in the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy.

Praise for Children of Blood and Bone

"Poses thought-provoking questions about race, class and authority that hold up a warning mirror to our sharply divided society." -The New York Times

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Yoon Ha Lee's space opera about thirteen-year-old Min, who comes from a long line of fox spirits.
But you'd never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min's mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times.
Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She's counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds.
When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name.
Min's quest will have her meeting gamblers, pirates, and vengeful ghosts. It will involve deception, lies, and sabotage. She will be forced to use more fox-magic than ever before, and to rely on all of her cleverness and bravery. The outcome may not be what she had hoped, but it has the potential to exceed her wildest dreams.
This sci-fi adventure with the underpinnings of Korean mythology will transport you to a world far beyond your imagination.

 Staff Pick

This acclaimed picture book from two award-winning creators about connecting across generational and language differences shows that sometimes you don't need words to find common ground.

When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens -- with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words.

With spare text by Minh Lê and luminous illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, this stirring story about reaching across barriers will be cherished for years to come.
"A beautifully told and illustrated story about a grandson and grandfather struggling to communicate across divides of language, age and culture." --- Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize winner
Don't miss LIFT, also by Minh Lê and Dan Santat!

CRINKLE! SWISH! VRRR!

Includes Tissue box with plastic lid and 9 "tissues" of various materials for fun sensory play. All designed for encouraging play, enhancing developmental skills, and critical thinking.

 Staff Pick

Award-winning author and artist Mike Curato draws on his own experiences in Flamer, his debut graphic novel, telling a difficult story with humor, compassion, and love.

This book will save lives. --Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of National Book Award Finalist Hey, Kiddo

I know I'm not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They're mean, and scary, and they're always destroying something or saying something dumb or both.

I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe.

It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes--but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.

Lovely llama and pals adorn these cute mini pastel scented gel pens. Funtastic Friends Mini Gel Pens bring fruity scents to writing, doodles and more. This set of 6 friendly pastel gel pens will surely delight and inspire.

• 6 different Fruit scented pastel gel ink colors
• 6 different happy quotes and characters - one on each pen
• Gel ink - for smooth writing
• Size 4.25 inches
• Suitable for ages 3 and up

One glitter notebook in assorted pink and purple colors.

Toss away the boring notebooks and go glamorous! You'll be the talk of the town with these high profile, small sized, sparkly notebooks that'll fit in your pretty little pocket. Each notebook has 64 lined pages at 4 by 5.75 inches so they are small enough to carry around and sizeable enough for your captivating notes.

The star of Julián Is a Mermaid makes a joyful return--and finds a new friend--at a wedding to be remembered.

Julián and his abuela are going to a wedding. Better yet, Julián is in the wedding. Weddings have flowers and kissing and dancing and cake. And this wedding also has a new friend named Marisol. It's not long before Julián and Marisol set off for some magic and mischief of their own, and when things take an unexpected turn, the pair learns that everything is easier with a good friend by your side. Jessica Love returns with a joyful story of friendship and individuality in this radiant follow-up to Julián Is a Mermaid.

For fans of American Born Chinese and Roller Girl, Measuring Up is an own voices graphic novel debut from Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu!

"A beautiful story about food, family, and finding your place in the world." --Gene Luen Yang, author ofAmerican Born ChineseandDragon Hoops

"A delicious and heartwarming exploration of identity by a young immigrant trying to find her place in multiple cultures." --Remy Lai, author ofPie in the Skyand Fly on the Wall

Twelve-year-old Cici has just moved from Taiwan to Seattle, and the only thing she wants more than to fit in at her new school is to celebrate her grandmother, A-má's, seventieth birthday together.

Since she can't go to A-má, Cici cooks up a plan to bring A-má to her by winning the grand prize in a kids' cooking contest to pay for A-má's plane ticket! There's just one problem: Cici only knows how to cook Taiwanese food.

And after her pickled cucumber debacle at lunch, she's determined to channel her inner Julia Child. Can Cici find a winning recipe to reunite with A-má, a way to fit in with her new friends, and somehow find herself too?

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Fall 2020 Kids Indie Next List

Featured in Parents Magazine Book Nook October issue

A CBC Hot off the Press October Selection